A long-closed footbridge near Hurley will need to be completely replaced, the Environment Agency (EA) has said.
Temple Bridge provided a crossing over the River Thames, just upstream from Temple Lock, from 1989 until it was closed in May 2023, after surveyors from the EA said it has ‘deteriorated faster than expected’.
Over the years, residents, community figures and Maidenhead’s MP Josh Reynolds have criticised the speed of the repairs to the bridge and the ‘dangerous’ diversion that takes walkers onto Temple Lane, which is a 60mph road.
Last May, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) invested £500,000 into works, which was split equally between Temple Bridge and Marsh Lock Horsebridge in Henley.
After removing the damaged central section of Temple Bridge in November, it was assessed, and the EA confirmed this part of the bridge was ‘beyond economical repair and will need to be replaced’.
The agency has now confirmed that, following an inspection of the side spans of the bridge, it has received a report determining that the bridge ‘requires complete replacement’.
According to the EA’s online page on Temple Bridge, the side spans of the bridge were inspected in February and were ‘found to be in very poor condition’.
It added: “All structural elements including the main supporting beams, deck boards, and parapets show signs of extensive deterioration resulting in a significant loss of structural integrity.
“The advanced degradation of the structural beams, along with the complexities of the bridge’s location over the River Thames, mean that refurbishment of the side spans has been deemed non-viable and therefore are also beyond economical repair.”
The team will now progress its work with stakeholders and partners to ‘plan the next phases of the bridge replacement project’, the website added. This will include a public engagement event, which will take place ‘as soon as possible’.
An Environment Agency spokesperson said earlier this week: “Our bridge specialists carried out their engineering inspection of the bridge side spans earlier in the year. We have now received the report which has determined that the bridge requires complete replacement.
“Outline designs of the refurbishment or replacement work are planned to be finished by the end of March.
“These will help us understand the construction costs of any planned future work.
“We will then link closely with stakeholders and the local community on the detailed design phase to support the needs of all Thames Path and River Thames users.”
Maidenhead MP Josh Reynolds recently met with representatives from the EA to discuss Temple Bridge.
Mr Reynolds said he is ‘glad’ to see progress is being made to get the bridge replaced.
For more information, visit: https://engageenvironmentagency.uk.engagementhq.com/thames-area-assets/news_feed/temple-footbridge-update
